The most common type of sheepskin people will know and recognise made exceptionally popular by Ugg in their classic boots.
In its most common form, it is ironed wool which during the tanning process has been ironed and polished to flatten it out and provide that classic soft feel.
This type of classic suede finish can be produced from most types of sheepskin or occasionally lambskin, which is a younger sheep making it softer and lighter to touch.
Shearling comes from a sheep between the ages of 1-2, also called a yearling. It has only been shorn once to provide uniformity in texture.
Shearling commonly has the classic suede finish on one side with the shorn wool on the other.
Merino is a breed of sheep. They are renowned for having some of the finest and softest wool available. Originally coming from Turkey and Spain, the majority are now reared in Australia and New Zealand.
They are usually finished with classic suede or a napalan leather finish.
Mongolian or Tibetan sheepskin's primary characteristic is the soft longhair wool. It is unique to the sheep that live in that region of the world and is designed to keep them warm and insulated against the harsh conditions and rugged landscapes.
The look and feel of Mongolian sheepskins are unique and very striking, making it ideal as feature pieces.
It is one that people love to feel and brush their fingers through, but care needs to be taken as it can matt.
Don't brush or comb it as that can rip the wool away from the skin.
If it does matt, then the best thing is to wet it slightly with cool water and brush it with your fingers lightly to ease the tangles.
Icelandic sheep is a breed also known as shaggy sheep due to the long, coarse wool.
It has a wild, rugged look and feel to it but is exceptionally long and striking making it perfect for feature items.
Spanish sheepskin comes from the Tigrado sheep and is noticeable from its tight curls.
People sometimes mistakenly refer it to 'slink lambskin' due to the similarities with the curls, however it is quite different in weight and texture.
It more commonly resembles Gotland sheepskin from Sweden however the breed and hence skin is smaller.
It generally has a suede finish to complement look.
